43 years ago

Date: 16th September 1981

Venue: Caesars Palace, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas

Title: WBC & WBA World Welterweight Titles

Promoter: Main Events

Tv: HBO

Ray Leonard
( 30 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 146 lbs

Thomas Hearns
( 32 - 0 - 0 )
Weight: 145 lbs

On the 16th of September 1981, Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns fought for the Undisputed World Welterweight Championship. This was a major boxing event which was held at the Caesars Palace Outdoor Arena in Las Vegas and was promoted by Main Events. The fight was refereed by Davey Pearl.

Sugar Ray Leonard was the WBC champion, and Thomas Hearns was the WBA champion. Leonard was from Palmer Park, Maryland, and Hearns was from Detroit, Michigan. Both fighters were in top form, and the fight was expected to be a classic encounter. Leonard had a record of 30 wins and 1 loss while Hearns was undefeated with 32 wins.

The fight was watched by millions of people all over the world and was broadcast on closed-circuit television in 298 locations in the United States and Canada, while pay-per-view was available to one million homes in 24 cities. The fight was also televised live or delayed in about 50 countries and was estimated to have been seen by 300 million people worldwide.

The fight was a high-stakes affair, with Leonard guaranteed $8 million, and Hearns assured a minimum of $5 million. The revenue from the fight was massive, grossing over $35 million, with a live gate of $5.9 million and revenue from pay-per-view of $7.5 million. The temporary outdoor arena erected on the Caesars Palace tennis courts was sold out, with a crowd of 23,618 in attendance.

In the end, it was Sugar Ray Leonard who emerged victorious after knocking out Thomas Hearns in the 14th round. The fight was a close encounter with both fighters showing their skills and determination, but in the end, it was Leonard who showed his class and came out on top. The Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns fight remains one of the greatest and most memorable boxing matches in history.